[N-no, that's not right! I can't think about this now! Calm down, Mitsuri! He's your enemy!]
"Where are Miss Hinatsuru and Miss Makio?! What did you do to them?!"
Not noticing the brief abnormality in Kanroji Mitsuri behind him, Tanjiro quickly scanned the church and, failing to find the two women's figures, shouted loudly.
"Just now, they have already attained eternal life with me."
Doma answered truthfully.
"Eternal life? What do you mean?"
"It's the same as that girl in the film studio, little one. You should know, right?"
"You?!"
Even though he knew this was part of their original plan, when Doma personally stated this result, Tanjiro's heart was filled with intense grief.
Miss Hinatsuru and Miss Makio had already sacrificed themselves...
As Demon Slayers, they actually had to sacrifice their own comrades as bait to defeat demons...
"Of course, talk of eternal life is all fake～"
Watching Tanjiro's expression of sorrow that was nearly bringing him to tears, Doma blinked and suddenly smiled:
"They were simply eaten by me and died, that's all.
This so-called 'eternal life with me' is essentially the same as what the vast majority of religions do for human society.
It's all about giving fragile humans who cannot accept reality a safe harbor to escape and deceive themselves.
After all, if I directly told them that their good sister had completely died, they would surely be devastated.
And I can't stand seeing girls cry, so I just used those words to trick them～"
At Doma's lighthearted words, even carrying a hint of a smile, Tanjiro was utterly shocked.
His pupils contracted to their limit. He looked at Doma before him and asked in disbelief:
"You... how can you treat human lives so... lightly?"
"Why?"
As if he had heard an incredibly strange question, Doma was stunned. He blinked rapidly and then smiled:
"Young man, however you view chickens, ducks, cattle, and sheep—that's how I view you.
Although it may seem different to you, in my eyes, it's all the same meaning.
Perhaps you think that since I was once human, I shouldn't have such thoughts.
But that was the past, after all. I am now a being that has evolved further than humans on the path of evolution.
In my view, we are no longer the same species.
Of course, this doesn't mean I completely disregard you—not at all...
If it's a very special kind of human, I would still treat them as my own kind, caring for and cherishing them, especially Kotoha!
Let me tell you, young one, that girl Kotoha is really super, super..."
"I'll kill you!"
Roaring to interrupt Doma's unfinished words, Tanjiro gripped his blade with both hands and bellowed:
"Demon! For Tengen-senpai! And for all the other Demon Slayers you've massacred! I will definitely kill you!"
Doma's words had undoubtedly ignited the flames of rage within his heart completely.
He couldn't imagine that someone could treat human life with such contempt!
What do you take life for?!
"Huh? Maybe not?"
To Tanjiro's request for battle, Doma actually wanted to refuse.
"Compared to me, I think the Holy Maiden would prefer to fight you?"
"After I behead you! It won't be too late to see her then!"
"Oh! Quite confident! Very good, very good! In that case, let me see how much you've improved during this time, young man!"
Saying this, Doma turned his gaze to Kanroji Mitsuri.
"Then, what about this sturdy-looking pretty lady? Will you join too?"
"Huh? Y-yes! Although you're indeed very handsome! I must fight you too!"
Nodding hurriedly, Kanroji Mitsuri also drew her specially made flexible blade.
"Excellent, so it's two of you!"
Doma nodded lightly, then raised his iron fan and waved it gently, shouting with great momentum:
"Behold! Ice Breathing: Fifth Form—Two More Dragons!"
Accompanying this extremely abstract technique name, ice crystals floating in the air rapidly condensed into two ice dragons, lunging toward Tanjiro and Kanroji Mitsuri respectively!
"Senpai, be careful! These ice dragons can fight autonomously! Very troublesome!"
"Okay!"
The battle commenced. Facing these ice dragons again after many days, Tanjiro still found them equally troublesome.
During this time, he had seriously thought more than once about how to defeat these ice dragons.
And the conclusion he ultimately reached was—
There was no way.
These ice crystal constructs had no flesh or blood; the Transparent World was naturally ineffective against them.
Not only could they spray ice mist to attack, but they were also fast and agile. More importantly, they could fly! There was simply no way to fight them!
Even if he was lucky enough to shatter one, this demon could quickly create another. Super cheap!
Their only option was truly to stall.
Only by stalling until the wisteria poison within this demon's body erupted could they perhaps have a chance to behead him!
Unlike Tanjiro who was entangled the moment the fight began, Kanroji Mitsuri's situation on the other side was much better.
Eight times the muscle density of an ordinary person granted her strength, endurance, and explosive power far exceeding normal humans.
Combined with the flexible and versatile blade in her hands, she handled the ice dragon much more skillfully than Tanjiro.
Not only trading blows evenly, she even turned the tables and suppressed the ice dragon's attacks!
"Hmm? This little lady's body seems a bit special..."
Returning to his seat, Doma observed Mitsuri's battle seriously, somewhat surprised.
"And that big blind guy from before too... incredible. Why are there so many freaks in this generation of the Demon Slayer Corps?
This has never happened before. This can no longer be explained by simple coincidence. Could it be... everything the Holy Maiden said in the past was true?!"
Suddenly raising his hands to his head, Doma's face was full of shock:
"Could it be that gods who control everything truly exist in this world? That heaven and hell also exist?!
Could it be that after people die, they really have souls? And they can even reincarnate?!"
His thoughts drifting further and further, the more Doma thought, the more deeply shaken he felt.
And after the shock, a question arose in his heart.
If heaven and hell truly existed, what would they be like?
According to human values, he probably couldn't go to heaven, but hell was likely still an option.
So, what would that hell from myth and legend—the one that torments all demons—actually be like?
Suddenly, Doma kind of wanted to see it...
"Hmm?"
Just as this thought emerged in his mind, Doma suddenly felt something was wrong with his body.
Something within him seemed to have suddenly erupted, frantically eroding his cells...
...
(Author's Note: Kiriya is indeed dead. The Ubuyashiki bloodline is indeed severed. Kanae is from the Prudent Faction—swift, precise, and ruthless. Considering censorship reasons, no scene descriptions are provided.)
(After all, minors are involved. Everyone should understand.)